I am sharing this information about becoming an Amazon seller out of genuine intrigue. Links provided are affiliate links for Matt; I am under no obligation to share any of this, but I think it’s worth mulling over!
Yesterday afternoon I had a really exciting conversation with someone I have known since I was probably 9 years old. His name is Matt, and he went to the same church I attended, and was (and continues to be) a really close friend of my older brother’s.
My brother connected us because he knew that we both have entrepreneurial spirits, and because Matt had a very compelling story to share about a work-at-home opportunity he took late last year that has resulted in a 1,000% return on his investment.
Before we move forward, let’s just give that a moment to sink in, ‘k? 1,000%!!!
photo credit: nkeppol via photopin cc
How Matt Became an Amazon Seller
Matt follows a lot of personal finance gurus online, and a little over a year ago, one such person he trusts greatly endorsed a workshop that provided very specific instructions on how to start selling things on Amazon, including how to figure out what you should be selling, and how to easily find someone to make those products for you and even brand them for you. No need for you to invent anything, tour a factory somewhere to make a deal, or even have a knack for graphic design so you can create beautiful packaging. Every single step is laid out for you in great detail so that you can be up and running providing physical products on Amazon without even having to touch those products.
Matt invested quite a bit of money (close to $4,000) to learn this information. I would have told you that he was an absolute IDIOT (sorry, Matt!) and just got swindled out of some serious cash, but he took a leap of faith based on a recommendation from someone he very much trusted, an they were absolutely correct. Matt emailed me a screenshot of his earnings just from June of this year, which is what recently was paid out to him. Want to see it?
That’s right, folks: Amazon sent him almost $10k for on month of sales on their site. He’ll get another deposit next month that looks remarkably similar. He said that after taxes and all overhead, he has earned $45,000 since January, and that’s with one product that he is selling strictly on Amazon. He plans to find up to 9 additional products to sell, and if those products are as successful, he will ramp up his business to generate $1 million a year.
Now here’s the serious kicker: Matt spends, on average, 4 hours a week or so on this job. He is actually a pastor of a new church, and he does this Amazon seller work on the side to provide for his family so that he can spend his work week doing something he feels called to do, and he can do it without having to draw a salary from the church, which helps it establish a more secure financial footing. That’s amazing stuff! He did put more time into it in the beginning, of course, because there is a learning curve with everything. But once he got his bearings, he has found that it hasn’t taken much time at all; mostly just a few phone calls here and there and some customer service support. If Matt finds additional products to sell, there will obviously be a bit more time that needs to go into it, but he has also learned how to outsource a great deal of that sort of work, so he will for the most part, just hire some additional help.
I would have NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS spent $3,600 on a training course (or much of anything, to be honest). But after talking with Matt, someone I actually know, who has been through and found success with it, I have to admit that I’m very intrigued. I’m not ready to take a leap like this (nor do I have the funds!), but I signed up for emails from the people who run this training because I’m always glad to expand my horizons and learn more about strategies people have successfully employed to be their own bosses, to contribute in some meaningful way back to society, and to work smarter, not harder.
Matt was very excited that the team he learned from has actually released a series of videos and some tools that give you quite a bit of helpful and specific information on how to get started as an Amazon seller FOR FREE. I’ve watched them and I’ve learned a great deal (and it didn’t cost me a dime!). Here are the videos you can check out if you want to learn a bit more.
There are also two powerful testimonial videos of two couples who have put this training into practice and their stories. Definitely worth a watch for a bit of inspiration!
Did you have any idea that becoming an Amazon seller could be as simple as finding the right product idea, and getting connected with the right supplier who already knows how to make it? I had no clue! I totally thought you had to be an inventor! I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!
Matt,
I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to respond to my comment. You sound very genuine, and I appreciate your candor about the time spent on your business. This seems like a business venture that is relatively low risk with manageable investment. I’m seriously considering this now, given your experience and opinion. Are you part of the ASM online network? I’d love to be able to ping you with questions and comments later if I do join. Email me at jillohanlon@gmail.com if you are open to answer more questions (that I can’t somehow find/get answers to… in other words, I won’t bombard you with questions). Thanks again for setting aside time to respond. It means a lot! Take care.
Thanks Jill. Check your email. I emailed directly. Have a great day!
Hey Jill,
It really is a crazy thing. Looking back, it does seem to be “too good to be true”, but I promise what is being said is true and accurate.
When I first started this I would work on my Amazon business “after hours”. I would spend a couple hours a a night, 3-4 nights a week, going through the online training. I kept an intentional To-Do List of things to move my business forward.
Different people are at different levels of efficiency, but I will explain it this way. When I started this business I had a LOT on my plate. I was on staff at a large, demanding church (I was actually serving in two major leadership positions with two full staffs under me). I was finishing a Doctorate of Ministry degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and I am a husband and father to a toddler. So I did NOT have loads of extra time.
With some discipline, anyone can do this business. It is NOT rocket science. It is a system that works. One of the best lessons I have learned is to outsource as much as possible. Currently, my product comes from China to my packaging team in Tennessee. They de-package, re-package, and combine my products. They then apply labels and ship them to Amazon on my behalf. I simply pay a fee to get this done. It frees up DOZENS of hours for each shipment. Very small fee involved.
This idea permeates the entire business. Hire out what you can so that you can be free to dream and build the business.
Whoa, this is crazy – and seems too good to be true. I always wonder why this method of learning/selling hasn’t spread like wildfire if the profits are truly that incredible. On the other hand, the idea that you have to work like a dog to make money is a widely held belief in our society. I also am curious how much time Matt had to dedicate to his selling business in the beginning and how long it took for him to get down to 4 hours. Anyway, thanks for sharing this info: it is compelling indeed, and seems legit since you know this man personally.